Brandon/Winthrop
37
April 2023
Volume 18, Issue 4
2
Ph: 813-657-2418
CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF PUBLISHING P OSITIVE COMMUNIT Y NEWS
HIGH 5 INC. TO HOST FREE 2ND ECHO THRIFT STORE OPENING ON BLOOMINGDALE THIS MONTH COMMUNITY EVENT FOR By Jane Owen 60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION By Lily Belcher
Osprey Observer 2109 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Valrico, FL 33596
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High 5 Inc. is special-needs celebrating its education pillar 60th anniversaby providing ry on Saturday, supplies and May 20 with resources for free activities projects just and games for like this one.” the community Team TRIand the dediDENT has cation of their Join High 5, Inc. on Saturday May 20th, 2023 from 10 a.m. learned hynew memorial droponics and - 2 p.m for its 60th Anniversary Celebration. garden. basic craftsThe event will be held manship skills during the to celebrate 60 years construction of the meof teaching community morial garden. While the members of all ages how garden is still being built, to swim and be safe in the it will be dedicated at the water. High 5 will host event to encourage the games, guest speakers, community to visit in the activities and food for future. those who come to the In addition to six decelebration. cades of teaching individ“This will be a free comuals how to swim, High 5 munity event where not has served the community only will we be celebrating with an emphasis on its five 60 years of impact and pillars: after-school, learn to driving our mission in the swim, special-needs educaBrandon community and tion, sports and recreation beyond, but we will also and community partnerbe hosting our Blue Wave ships. Swim-A-Thon, Candy Corsi “We encourage families, Memorial Garden Dedicafriends, athletes, past/prestion, Pool Project Dedica- If you would like to donate to ent program participants, tion [and] celebrating Na- the memorial gardens, please community leaders and scan the QR code. tional Learn to Swim Day,” businesses, and everyone said director of family experience Jada else, to come enjoy this memorable day Spano. with us,” said Spano. The Memorial Garden will be dedicated The anniversary celebration will take to Candy Corsi, former director of Train- place at the High 5 facility from 9 a.m.-1 ing and Recreation for the Intellectually p.m. High 5 is located off U.S. Highway 60 Disabled, Enhancing Their Natural Talents on Beverly Boulevard. (TRIDENT), who passed away in 2021. To donate to the memorial garden, visit “Her two sons still remain in the program https://qtego.net/donate/trident. For more today, and High 5/Team TRIDENT wanted information on the nonprofit organization, to create a way to celebrate her forever,” visit their website at www.high5inc.org or said Spano. “… All proceeds benefit our call 813-689-0908.
Finding a good ECHO’s programhome for things ming. you don’t use Macaluso exanymore is a solplained that the id move any time new store proof year. Donate vides more giveitems to ECHO’s back to what new thrift store ECHO is already and you will be doing but beyond giving to people that, it gives in crisis in our back to this area Annmarie Macaluso, ECHO Thrift store manager, at community. of the communiECHO’s new Bloomingdale thrift store. ECHO’s misty. sion is to assist resi“I look at our thrift dents of Hillsborough store as its own give County in crisis with back to the commuemergency food and nity. We try to keep clothing, offering things here reasonlife-stabilizing proable. People can grams and resourccome and shop and es. ECHO has two find nice things for resource centers, their family. A lot one in Brandon and of people are strugone in Riverview. Its A second ECHO Thrift store is opening on gling who might not Brandon thrift store Thursday, April 27 on Bloomingdale Ave- need assistance, but has provided clothing nue and will help ECHO to support more things are a little neighbors in need. and housewares tight and we are for the resource more affordable,” centers since 2021. Macaluso said. A second ECHO E C H O ’ s Thrift store is Bloomingdale opening on Thursthrift store is loday, April 27 on cated at 815 W. Bloomingdale Avenue. The additional Bloomingdale Ave. It is open from 10 a.m.space will allow ECHO to process more do- 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Donanations, support more neighbors in need tion hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on those and create additional funding for ECHO’s days. many community initiatives. Donations of clothing and housewares ECHO Thrift’s manager, Annmarie Ma- are accepted. Baby seats, large toys and caluso, loves the mission and community furniture (with the exception of small acfocus of ECHO. cent pieces) cannot be donated. “ECHO is community-based. We live To learn more about ECHO, visit https:// here. We work here. We help here,” Ma- echofl.org/. For specific thrift store inforcaluso said. mation, select the “ECHO Thrift” tab on According to Macaluso, the new the website. Bloomingdale store will primarily support the Riverview resource center. The support process will be the same as it has been for the Brandon resource center. Re- GOLF CLINIC ........................................PG 3 source centers send invoices of what they ELAPP PRESERVATION ..................PG 5 need, the thrift stores fill the items and RUNNING OF THE BULLS...............PG 9 then they are picked up and taken to the centers daily. Leftover items at the thrift EYE ON BUSINESS.........................PG 33 stores are sold, and the profits support SUMMER CAMP GUIDE ..............SEC 2
The Raptor Center of Tampa Bay (RCTB) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation and maintenance of a wildlife facility designed for the care, treatment and rehabilitation of birds of prey and other wildlife. Visit its website, www.raptorcenteroftampabay.org. See full article on page 37.
813-689-8131 • 3159 E. State Road 60 - Valrico